The Pittsburgh Steelers had a golden opportunity to take control of the AFC North. With the Baltimore Ravens hobbled and the Cincinnati Bengals struggling, the door was wide open for the Steel City to generate a lead in the division. They were successful in doing that at first, building a strong lead over the Ravens and the Bengals.
As the Ravens started to become healthier, though, the Steelers squandered that lead that they built for themselves. While both sides of the ball struggled at certain points, the Steelers' defensive woes were put under the spotlight. Pittsburgh spent the most money in the NFL on their defense, yet they struggled to stop opposing offenses from raining hell on them.
Against the Chicago Bears in Week 12, the Steelers defense gave up a whopping 31 points to the NFC North team. Save for a forced fumble that was recovered for a touchdown, Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson carved up the Pittsburgh defense. Because of that loss, the Steelers gave up their control of the AFC North to the now-healthy Ravens.
This is now make-or-break time for the Steelers. They're set to face the Buffalo Bills in Week 13. While the Bills still have the uber-talented Josh Allen, their offensive attack has been sputtering over the last few weeks.
Steelers' expensive defense needs to lock in against Bills
The Steelers have invested a ton of money on their defense. Four of their five highest-paid players this season in terms of AAV (Approximate Average Value) all play on defense. That list includes pass-rusher TJ Watt ($41 million), cornerback Jalen Ramsey ($21 million), pass-rusher Alex Highsmith ($17 million), and defensive tackle Cam Heyward ($14.5 million). Safety Kyle Dugger ($14.5 million) and linebacker Patrick Queen ($13.7 million) aren't far behind.
The Steelers' combined payroll on defense varies from source to source, but the consistent thing is that they're the highest-paid defense in the league, or at least among the top two spenders. Despite investing a significant part of their cap space on defense, though, the results have been mixed at best and terrible at worst.
The defense occasionally has a good game or two. However, the Steelers this season have seemingly adhered to a bend but don't break style of play. They ranked 28th in total yards allowed with 364.5, 31st in passing yards allowed with 258.7, and 15th in rushing yards allowed with 105.7. They've allowed 23.7 points per game, good for 20th in the league.
These are not the numbers you want to see from your highly-paid defense. Now, they'll face off against a Bills team that's looked shaky in the last few weeks.
Steelers have the personnel to beat the Bills
Against the Houston Texans, the Bills offense was completely stymied. It's worth noting that the Texans have been the best defense in the league this season, so holding Buffalo to just 19 points is a bit understandable. That being said, Houston got to the Bills by harassing Allen, sacking him 12 times.
The Steelers' pass rush is supposed to be their biggest strength. When you have names like Watt, Highsmith, and Heyward on the line, excellence from the position is not just lauded, it is expected. On paper (and in terms of money), Pittsburgh should have a superior pass-rush than the Texans. They can bring pressure from the edges or from inside, a true nightmare for any offensive line
The blueprint is right there for the Steelers to win against the Allen-led attack. Can the Steelers execute, though, is the real question. Pittsburgh's pass rush has been maddeningly inconsistent this season. One game they'll be terrorizing opposing offensive lines, the next day they're unable to get through wet toilet paper. For Pittsburgh to pull off a win, they'll need to bring their A-game against arguably the best quarterback in the league.
